The BlockDAG ecosystem is accelerating toward a fully functional testnet, delivering critical upgrades that enhance performance, security, and user engagement. This comprehensive update outlines the latest technical advancements across core blockchain infrastructure, mining integration, explorer tools, and upcoming NFT capabilities—positioning BlockDAG as a high-performance, community-driven decentralized network.
With live mining now operational and foundational modules maturing, developers, miners, and token holders are closer than ever to experiencing a scalable DAG-based blockchain designed for real-world utility.
Core Blockchain Advancements
BEVM Upgrade: Alignment with Ethereum Standards
The BlockDAG Ethereum Virtual Machine (BEVM) has been upgraded to support Go-Ethereum v1.14.11, ensuring compatibility with the latest Ethereum tooling, libraries, and performance improvements. This strategic alignment enables smoother integration for Ethereum developers looking to build or migrate decentralized applications (dApps) onto the BlockDAG network.
By leveraging established Ethereum infrastructure, BlockDAG enhances developer accessibility while maintaining its unique Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) consensus model for improved scalability and throughput.
Addressing Sidechain Depth Challenges
During high-load transaction simulations, the team encountered an issue labeled "Sidechain depth too large", triggered by deep branching in parallel processing scenarios. This occurs when multiple blocks are generated simultaneously, creating extended sidechains that challenge consensus stability.
While this is a known complexity in DAG-based systems, the engineering team is actively debugging and evaluating protocol-level adjustments—including potential tweaks to block propagation logic and orphan management—to ensure high transaction volume doesn’t compromise network integrity.
WASM Transaction Validation
To strengthen data reliability, a new block sanity check has been implemented for WebAssembly (WASM)-based transactions. This validation layer prevents malformed or malicious WASM code from being committed to the chain, improving overall security and state consistency.
This enhancement is particularly important as WASM enables advanced smart contract functionality and cross-language development support within the BlockDAG ecosystem.
Stratum Server Integration: Live Mining Enabled
A major milestone has been achieved with the full implementation of the Stratum protocol, now seamlessly integrated between blockchain nodes and mining hardware. Blocks are being successfully mined through this system—a crucial step toward decentralized, community-powered mining.
This foundation supports both current and future miner kits, including the X1 and X10 models, paving the way for broad participation in the upcoming public testnet phase.
Upcoming: Blake2s Hash Algorithm Support
Engineers are finalizing integration of the blake2s hashing algorithm, known for its speed and efficiency on low-power devices. Once complete, this will optimize mining performance—especially for entry-tier hardware like the X1 miner—by reducing computational overhead without sacrificing security.
This move reinforces BlockDAG’s commitment to inclusive, energy-efficient mining accessible across diverse hardware tiers.
Explorer Enhancements: Smarter Data, Better Insights
The BlockDAG explorer continues evolving into a powerful analytics dashboard, offering deeper visibility into network activity and token behavior.
Token Analytics Dashboard
A new analytics chart module is now live, allowing users to track token distribution trends, transaction volumes, and holder activity. These visual insights empower investors, developers, and analysts to make informed decisions based on real-time ecosystem data.
Historical Price API
An API endpoint has been added to deliver historical price data, enabling third-party integrations with trading platforms, portfolio trackers, and market analysis tools. This lays the groundwork for richer dApp experiences and financial modeling within the ecosystem.
NFT Module Research: On-Chain Discovery in Development
Preliminary research has begun on an NFT discovery engine that will allow users to explore non-fungible tokens directly through the BlockDAG explorer. The goal is to highlight top NFTs by volume, rarity, and creator—boosting visibility for digital artists and collectors.
Future features may include metadata indexing, provenance tracking, and collection analytics—making BlockDAG a viable platform for NFT innovation.
X1 & X10 Miner Hardware Integration Progress
Technical Workshop Outcomes
A recent deep-dive workshop brought together hardware and software teams to resolve low-level communication issues between BlockDAG nodes and X1/X10 mining devices. The result? A stable bidirectional data flow where miners successfully connect to nodes and contribute to block production.
This achievement confirms that hardware-software interoperability is viable and scalable—a prerequisite for mass miner adoption.
Next Steps in Hardware Optimization
Upcoming efforts will focus on:
- Stress testing under real-world network conditions
- Collecting performance benchmarks (hashrate, latency, uptime)
- Measuring energy efficiency across device tiers
These metrics will guide optimizations for large-scale deployment and help define best practices for home and industrial miners alike.
Resolved and Ongoing Technical Issues
Fixed Issues
- Mining functionality restored via Stratum server integration
- WASM transaction validation now enforced at block level
Open Issues
- Sidechain depth overflow during peak loads remains under investigation
- Blake2s hashing integration is in final development stages
Transparency remains central to BlockDAG’s development philosophy. Known challenges are documented openly, with progress shared regularly to maintain trust and community involvement.
What’s Next for BlockDAG?
The roadmap ahead focuses on stabilization, expansion, and broader accessibility:
- Finalize blake2s algorithm support for all miner hardware
- Begin front-end development for the NFT explorer interface
- Conduct real-world miner benchmarking campaigns
- Prepare for the next public testnet release with full mining participation
- Launch comprehensive developer documentation, SDKs, and onboarding guides
Each step brings BlockDAG closer to a resilient, user-empowered network ready for global adoption.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is mining currently available on the BlockDAG network?
A: Yes—live mining is now active through the integrated Stratum protocol. Miners can connect X1 and X10 devices to participate in block production during the testnet phase.
Q: What makes BEVM different from other EVM-compatible chains?
A: While BEVM maintains compatibility with Ethereum tooling (via Geth v1.14.11), it operates on a DAG-based architecture instead of linear blockchain structure. This allows for higher transaction throughput and faster confirmations.
Q: Will NFTs be supported on BlockDAG?
A: Yes—research is underway to build an NFT discovery module within the explorer. Future updates will enable NFT minting, trading, and analytics directly on-chain.
Q: How can I report bugs or contribute feedback?
A: Community input is highly valued. You can reach the team at [email protected] with issues, suggestions, or collaboration ideas.
Q: Is BlockDAG eco-friendly compared to traditional proof-of-work blockchains?
A: Yes—by optimizing for lightweight hashing (blake2s) and supporting efficient hardware, BlockDAG aims to minimize energy consumption while maintaining decentralization.
Q: When will the public testnet launch?
A: The next testnet phase is being prepared with full miner integration. Stay tuned for official announcements regarding access and participation details.
BlockDAG is more than code—it’s a movement built on decentralization, inclusivity, and real-world utility. Every node run, every miner activated, and every line of feedback strengthens the network.
As development progresses toward a robust testnet launch, your role becomes increasingly vital. Whether you're analyzing token trends, testing hardware integration, or exploring future NFT capabilities—you're helping shape the future of decentralized infrastructure.
Join us in building a faster, fairer, and more accessible blockchain ecosystem.